Real Life Stories.

Journee and Danielle have a very special bond. Despite being matched a little under a year, they have become thick as thieves. Journee asked her mom for a Big Sister, as some of her older friends had one, and mom felt like it would be good for her, as Journee struggled with her self-confidence and being bullied at school. And we could not have found a Big better suited to help her learn and grow than Dani.

They’re first several outings were getting to know each other, exploring their likes and dislikes. Dani took Journee to her boxing gym, where she is a trainer, and to her church, where she was very involved. In fact, it was while looking for volunteer experiences for other members, when Dani herself decided to become a Big Sister. They came to BBBS group events, went out to eat and have had girls’ nights with pizza, movies and nails!!

Journee celebrated a pretty important milestone recently. After attending church, pretty much weekly, with Dani, Journee asked her if she could be baptized. Dani and Journee’s family did share a Christian background, although Journee had yet to be baptized. So last month, after blessing from her mom and surrounded by her new church family and her biological family, Journee was baptized. A very special day for everyone. And to top it off, Dani’s church also selected BBBS to be a recipient for one of their collection days. On Easter Sunday, they raised over $500 to support our work in the community.

Mom, Journee and Dani all have so much love and respect for one another and their roles in each other’s lives. Mom days that Journee’s self-esteem has improved so much since being matched. She says, “Journee is happy, so I am happy”. And Journee says, “I think God brought Dani into my life at the right moment”. Dani talks about her passion for children and volunteering in her community, saying that she “believes that BBBS was a gateway to experience both on a totally different level”.